Spinning-top.



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE;

LOUIS A. MASSEITE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK B. GRAFF, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SPINNING-TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed January 2.1906- Serial. No 294,085.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Louis A. MAssETTE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spinning-Tops, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spinning tops and has for its objects; to provide a top in which the spinning force from the string is applied more advantageously than heretofore; to provide a top in which the force from the string is applied positively instead of frictionally as has heretofore been the practice; to provide a top in which the winding surface for the string is so located that the string may be easily and expeditiously Wound thereon and of such construction that the string will unwind easily and readily Without slipping when the top is being spun. These objects, and other advantages which will hereinafter appear, I attain by means of the construction illustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of my improved top having the string wound thereon ready for spinning;

Figure 2 is a vertical central section of the same, with the string omitted;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line (3) of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating a slightly modified form of top, Which may be spun on either end, and

Figure 5 is a vertical central section of a top substantially similar to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, but having only one groove for the reception of the spinning string.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I provide a spinning top consisting of a body portion 6, which may be of any preferred form, and is provided with a pair of deep grooves 7, adapted to constitute the Winding surface for the string as illustrated in Figure 1. Said grooves are located at approximately the center of the top, intermediate its ends, such location being best adapted for the application of power from the string when the top is spun.

The portion of the body 8 lying between the grooves is provided with a series of peripheral notches 9, which cause the top to emit a humming noise while spinning, and at .constructed in the ordinary manner.

advantages of the devlce W1ll readily occur to 105 the same time serve to hold the string in position in a manner to be presently described. As the portion 8 is comparatively thin I prefer to make it of a slightly less diameter than the adjacent portions of the body, in order to protect it from injury caused by coming into contact with the ground when the top topples over or is carelessly spun, As the diameter of the body portion at the grooves is considerably reduced, I prefer to make the spinning point 10 in the form of a rod, which will extend entirely through the top from end to end, and thereby greatly strengthen the same at its weakest point, although it will be noted that the ordinary form of plug point can be used in connection with my device, without in any way departing from the nature of the invention. It will also be noted that I can, if desired, extend the rod 10 to form a spinning point at each end, as illustrated in Figure 4, in which case both ends of the body portion 6 should be made symmetrical.

By reference to Figures 1 and 3 it will be seen that when it is desired to spin the top, the string is first looped around the portion 8 through one of the notches 9, which will revent it from slipping. Thefree ends are t ien wound around in the grooves 7 and the top is s un by being thrown from the hand in which tile string is retained in the usual manner.

In Figure 5 I have shown a construction embodying the same principle of the application of the spinning force from the string to thetop, but in this instance a single groove 1 1 is used, in which the string is wound without being doubled, the construction of the groove being such that the string will not slip off until it is entirely unwound.

From the foregoing it will be noted that by reason of the construction and location of the grooves, the string can be easlly wound therein without danger of slipping, and that owing 5 to the string remaining 1n position until it is entirely unwound the force therefrom will be applied positively to the top, in the most advantageous manner; furthermore, the location of the grooves will cause the spinning IOO force to be applied at approximately the center of gravity of the top, all of which will cause it to spin a much longer time than tops Other those familiar with the art.

illustrated its use, what I claim as new, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the following:

1. A spinning top bulged near its center and provided with a rectangular winding groove at such point.

2. A spinning top having intermediate its ends a pair of winding grooves, the portion of the body between the grooves being provided with a notch, said notch being of a less depth than the grooves and adapted to receive the loop of a double string wound in the grooves.

3. A spinning top having intermediate its ends a pair of winding grooves, the diameter of the portion of the bodybetween the grooves being less than the diameter of the body on In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed Witnesses.

LOUIS A. MASSETTE. Witnesses:

J. C. BRADLEY, F. E. GAITHER. 

